There are many and various methods and devices for displaying visual information. Portable easel-type frames are used to support information bearing placards or panels; panels or placards may include integral, foldable supporting frames. In the former case, the frames must be carried and erected independently from the panels comprising the display and in the latter instance, the display system may be heavy, cumbersome to carry, wasteful of space and flimsy when erected. In addition, in both cases the display system will be overly complicated to move, store and assemble.
The lightweight multi-panel display disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,046 addresses these problems. That patent discloses a multi-panel display made up of a number of rectangular panels with a foam core. The panels are interconnected by hinges fastened into adjacent side edges of the panels.
While the multi-panel display disclosed in the above patent addresses a number of the problems with such multi-panel displays, there are some problems which have remained unaddressed. For example, improvements could be made by reducing the weight yet increasing the rigidity of the individual panels and the assembled multi-panel display system, thereby easing the erection and transportation of a display system. In an aesthetic sense, it is desirable to have a display surface which is as smooth and uniform as possible across the extent of the surface. It would also be desirable to have a display system made up of panels having a durable, rigid relatively hard periphery to enhance the durability of the individual panels and the display system into which they may be assembled. It would be advantageous if a panel for use in multi-panel displays could be made as lightweight and durable as possible without resorting to materials such as expanded foams or plastics which might be harmful to the environment.